Poetry in motion

The trick in choosing an Elegant XI is to list favourites and then find slots for them rather than go by positions, balance, or indeed, records. It helps, for example, that Frank Worrell opened in four of his 51 Tests; he moves to the top, therefore, opening up a slot in the middle order. Sir Frank, as Neville Cardus said, never made a crude or ungrammatical stroke in his life - and that is as good a description as any for the batsmen here.

The Elegant XI is also the Poetry-in-Motion XI, as evidenced by the bowlers. Jim Laker once wrote that his idea of heaven was to have Ray Lindwall bowling from one end and Bishan Bedi from the other, so this could just as easily be the Heaven XI, for it contains both Lindwall and Bedi.

To leave out Archie Jackson, Alan Kippax, Roy Dias, Zaheer Abbas, Tom Graveney, Greg Chappell, Martin Crowe, Mark Waugh, VVS Laxman and Saeed Anwar is a wrench, and I am not sure if Jim Laker was a more elegant bowler than S Venkataraghavan. Grainy film footage of him bowling in the 1950s is inconclusive, so even in an XI where records and averages do not matter, he makes it for his superior record.

1. Victor Trumper "The art of Trumper is like an art in a bird's flight, an art that knows not how wonderful it is. Batting was for him a superb dissipation, a spontaneous spreading of fine feathers." - Neville Cardus

2. Frank Worrell (capt) "Worrell told me that as soon as a ball was delivered he could tell the blade of grass on which it was going to drop and therefore could place his feet and body for any stroke he wanted to make… There was no memory of anyone scoring runs with such grace and power." - CLR James

3. David Gower "Half England wants to mother him or marry him, and everyone else wants to bat as he does, as if in some enchanted dream. Wry in calamity, nonchalant in triumph, never straining too hard." - Peter Roebuck

4. Gundappa Viswanath To many he was the real Little Master, for the mastery involved innovation and the ability to utilise the grammar of the game to compose its poetry.

5. Ranji "He was a law unto himself. His extraordinary quickness of mind and eye allowed him to do things utterly impracticable for others. He broke the hearts of the best fast bowlers by the way he deflected their fastest deliveries to the boundary." - H S Altham

6. Frank Woolley
This great allrounder said of himself, "When I am batting, I am the attack." Robertson-Glasgow said Woolley was "easy to watch, difficult to bowl to and impossible to write about".

7. Alan Knott
"[He was] an original, his keeping so undemonstrative that its excellence was not always appreciated until a wide catch allowed him to display his agility." -Tony Pawson

8. Jim Laker
"Jim possessed a classical action, side-on looking over his left arm, coming down hard on a braced left leg and swivelling so sharply that he even dug a pit on soft turf. It was perfection." -Trevor Bailey

9. Michael Holding "A former track athlete, Holding, tall and sparsely built, has a long, lithe, lissom run-up, elbows pumping like a dancer's, head reared as if to delight in the zephyr resulting from his own fleetness. His gyratory action climaxes in an apparently effortless release of the ball." -David Frith

10. Ray Lindwall
"The genius of Lindwall was expressed in a variety of ways, not least in his cleverly disguised and devastating pace changes and in a bouncer delivered without any giveaways… When I saw Lindwall approaching I sensed the expectancy. A hush would descend on the ground." -Len Hutton

11. Bishan Bedi
"When you have seen Bishan Bedi twirl down his spinners after 60 overs with the same gentle rhythm as he settled into at the start of the spell, you understand why his is a great bowling action. A clockmaker would have been proud to set Bedi in motion - a mechanism finely balanced, cogs rolling silently and hands sweeping in smooth arcs across the face." -Tony Lewis

i don't think people are reading this properly.....it is the leegant XI????? why are people nominating Inzy??? and I agree that it's tough to have sachin ahead of lawrence rowe, zaheer abbas, or vvs, or even calr hooper (I must admit I forgot about him) you could argue that Imran Khan was graceful....but again he had a dynamic edge to him.....but marshal??? NO WAY.....and I am the biggest west indies fan there is !!!!!! marshall was the supreme master.......but he was not graceful..... how about Garth Mckenzie for a graceful quick bowler???

POSTED BY
on | October 21, 2010, 18:44 GMT

I think, in bowling Marshal and Imran are two names this guy has either deliberatley missed or he never saw them,
Imran's action was a hero's action, hearts would beat along his run-up, and on his final jump as a lion, the girls would faint,
Someone tell this writer, the meaning of poetry!!

POSTED BY
Navillus
on | October 21, 2010, 17:55 GMT

This is an interesting take on the AT XI fever, much better than Dileep Premachandran's version ... here is another interesting take on the difficulties of All Time XI selection by this blogger who is turning out to be my favourite writer ... http://senantixtwentytwoyards.blogspot.com/2010/10/problems-of-all-time-xi-including-with.html .. he discusses whether he should take Sachin of 98 or 2010 ... and Sehwag with or without hair ...

POSTED BY
on | October 21, 2010, 10:00 GMT

i saw David Gower's batting clips and found that he was good, but to liken him to Mark waugh is stretching too much. Mark had that grace, elegance, finesse which was best amongst his peers and he can find a place in any xi picked on the basis of elegance.

POSTED BY
bongalkar
on | October 21, 2010, 6:03 GMT

Hello Mr Menon you are unanimously selected as the captain of the mediocre jury XI. Now pick your X yourself .... enjoy

POSTED BY
PakPhenom
on | October 21, 2010, 5:09 GMT

Was there ever a more aesthetically pleasing batsman than Brian Lara? VVS should get a mention too. And Abdul Qadir was literally poetry in motion...

POSTED BY
waspsting
on | October 20, 2010, 17:08 GMT

Lawrence Rowe, Sayeed Anwar and Zaheer Abbas should all make the cut. Zaheer was far easier on the eyes than Viswanath. Gower and Worrell i would retain, and Trumper just on reputation.
Imran Khan would be in in place of Laker - his action was so beautiful. As for keepers, Dujon wold get my vote. he was a very elegant batsman, and his keeping was very stylish-acrobatic.

POSTED BY
Biggus
on | October 20, 2010, 12:23 GMT

@JKSFB-I demand to have an Aussie in that ugly XI. I suggest one of my childhood heroes former NSW and AUS allrounder Gary (Gus) Gilmour, who I reckon could break a mirror at 20 paces. @cozico-sure do. One of the great could have beens of modern cricket. Was indeed a sweet player but he didn't look to good here in 75/76 but such is life when you are desperately out of form against an attack like that. Cheers all!

POSTED BY
Biggus
on | October 20, 2010, 7:02 GMT

@Santhosh Kudva- A friend of mine once said that listening to jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli was like "watching honey drip off a table". Watching David Gower bat was a but like that-he was awfully pretty to watch, which is the point of this XI. You have mentioned some names that might have well been included and I acknowledge the beauty of their play but I guess the list has stop somewhere. It just shows what a thankless task being a selector is, even of a fantasy XI. My fellow countryman Mark Waugh could as you said have easily been included but, c'est la vie! Just too many beautiful stylists and not enough space. We should consider ourselves lucky that this is so. Cheers!

i don't think people are reading this properly.....it is the leegant XI????? why are people nominating Inzy??? and I agree that it's tough to have sachin ahead of lawrence rowe, zaheer abbas, or vvs, or even calr hooper (I must admit I forgot about him) you could argue that Imran Khan was graceful....but again he had a dynamic edge to him.....but marshal??? NO WAY.....and I am the biggest west indies fan there is !!!!!! marshall was the supreme master.......but he was not graceful..... how about Garth Mckenzie for a graceful quick bowler???

POSTED BY
on | October 21, 2010, 18:44 GMT

I think, in bowling Marshal and Imran are two names this guy has either deliberatley missed or he never saw them,
Imran's action was a hero's action, hearts would beat along his run-up, and on his final jump as a lion, the girls would faint,
Someone tell this writer, the meaning of poetry!!

POSTED BY
Navillus
on | October 21, 2010, 17:55 GMT

This is an interesting take on the AT XI fever, much better than Dileep Premachandran's version ... here is another interesting take on the difficulties of All Time XI selection by this blogger who is turning out to be my favourite writer ... http://senantixtwentytwoyards.blogspot.com/2010/10/problems-of-all-time-xi-including-with.html .. he discusses whether he should take Sachin of 98 or 2010 ... and Sehwag with or without hair ...

POSTED BY
on | October 21, 2010, 10:00 GMT

i saw David Gower's batting clips and found that he was good, but to liken him to Mark waugh is stretching too much. Mark had that grace, elegance, finesse which was best amongst his peers and he can find a place in any xi picked on the basis of elegance.

POSTED BY
bongalkar
on | October 21, 2010, 6:03 GMT

Hello Mr Menon you are unanimously selected as the captain of the mediocre jury XI. Now pick your X yourself .... enjoy

POSTED BY
PakPhenom
on | October 21, 2010, 5:09 GMT

Was there ever a more aesthetically pleasing batsman than Brian Lara? VVS should get a mention too. And Abdul Qadir was literally poetry in motion...

POSTED BY
waspsting
on | October 20, 2010, 17:08 GMT

Lawrence Rowe, Sayeed Anwar and Zaheer Abbas should all make the cut. Zaheer was far easier on the eyes than Viswanath. Gower and Worrell i would retain, and Trumper just on reputation.
Imran Khan would be in in place of Laker - his action was so beautiful. As for keepers, Dujon wold get my vote. he was a very elegant batsman, and his keeping was very stylish-acrobatic.

POSTED BY
Biggus
on | October 20, 2010, 12:23 GMT

@JKSFB-I demand to have an Aussie in that ugly XI. I suggest one of my childhood heroes former NSW and AUS allrounder Gary (Gus) Gilmour, who I reckon could break a mirror at 20 paces. @cozico-sure do. One of the great could have beens of modern cricket. Was indeed a sweet player but he didn't look to good here in 75/76 but such is life when you are desperately out of form against an attack like that. Cheers all!

POSTED BY
Biggus
on | October 20, 2010, 7:02 GMT

@Santhosh Kudva- A friend of mine once said that listening to jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli was like "watching honey drip off a table". Watching David Gower bat was a but like that-he was awfully pretty to watch, which is the point of this XI. You have mentioned some names that might have well been included and I acknowledge the beauty of their play but I guess the list has stop somewhere. It just shows what a thankless task being a selector is, even of a fantasy XI. My fellow countryman Mark Waugh could as you said have easily been included but, c'est la vie! Just too many beautiful stylists and not enough space. We should consider ourselves lucky that this is so. Cheers!

Bishan Bedi and Jim Laker bowling in tandem....mmmmm...my idea of a good afternoon's cricket watching. Sweet!

POSTED BY
mafiasam
on | October 19, 2010, 15:34 GMT

Btw, i just read comments by Bongalkar after i posted my comments.. I must say, the guy is spot on and said the exact thing i wanted to say. Elegant XI w/o Lara and Dravid is like giving a million dollar charity and not signing the cheque.

POSTED BY
mafiasam
on | October 19, 2010, 15:23 GMT

two comments from me:
1. I really wonder how many of these players have Suresh Menon have actually seen playing live and how many have he just heard about. It seems like the author has dug into fantasy world and placed more confidence in quotes of players from previous eras than his own eyes for majority of those XI. I think Mr. Menon shud rename the list as Poet's XI instead of Poetry in motion XI, coz a poet's creation is based on fantasies as much as this XI. Because if he really meant to make a true Elegant XI trusting his own eyes than hearsay.. he wud include likes of Dravid, Lara and Warne.there is no better view/posture than to see dravid hit a square cut in cricket. For Lara, need i say anything. and Warne, I dunno wat u call elegant in spin bowling if u dont consider Warne's action worth it. I am not even goin to broach the topic of tendulkar, a straight drive may not feature in ur cricketing books, if u dont consider Tendulkar elegant. My second comment follows:

POSTED BY
KnightRiderX
on | October 19, 2010, 14:38 GMT

i agree with your XI... some others who could perhaps hope to break into the team : Azhar, Ganguly (for his OFF SIDE PLAY alone...NOT dada against balls that were short or angling into his body ), and maybe Graeme Pollock... Viv Richards (in a way, i would call him elegant but not graceful)

I AGREE WITH THE BRILLIANT OBSERVATION BY WORRELL REGARDING HIS CAPACITY TO JUDGE WHERE THE BALL WOULD LAND. HIS OBSERVATION SUMS UP WHAT MAKES A BATSMAN GREAT AND PUTS THE MYTH ABOUT FAST FOOTWORK TO REST. IF YOU KNOW WHERE THE BALL LAND THEN YOU CAN GET THERE FASTER THAN SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT.

POSTED BY
bluebillion
on | October 19, 2010, 11:43 GMT

No Lara? Come on! No fair!!! Even the shuffle was elegant.

POSTED BY
PGW81
on | October 19, 2010, 10:52 GMT

Here is my String II (read as page2) XI who can beat the living daylights out of anyone : Alan Tyers, Anand Ramachandran, Dileep Ramachandran, Imran Yusuf, Imran Yusuf,Andrew Hughes, Andy Zaltzman, Alex Bowden,Sharda Ugra, Sahil Rizwan and Ant Sims. The perfect bunch who can mock any plan of the opposition and make the opponents cry..... This is poetry in motion.....

POSTED BY
PGW81
on | October 19, 2010, 10:38 GMT

@ Cricket chopper : You have chosen a spectators XI - the crowd will pay a lot to watch these players run around and jump and high-five.... If you are the leg umpire, I will join as third umpire - you can refer the decisions upwards...... I dunno if this is a graceful XI - but definitely a charming XI - for XIIth woman you can have deepika padukone

These XIs are turning out to be jokes! Elegant XI without Mark Waugh and Azharuddin are unimaginable.

POSTED BY
PGW81
on | October 19, 2010, 8:53 GMT

@ Suresh Menon : The XI that you have picked up surely makes for a very graceful team. I would definitely have chosen Mark Waugh for one of the batsmen - he was silken batting personfiied - for those who keep bragging on Sachin in every team - he may have scored runs effectively but I do not consider him in the same graceful class as a Mark Waugh or a Gower. I have not seen Trumper in action or his clippings - he must be good. But among the players whom I watched Mark Waugh was a visual treat - a bit languid at time but always a very graceful batsman. Some notable mentions of graceful yet a languid bunch - Inzy, M waugh, Saeed Anwar, Trescothick, A De Silva, Atapattu, D Martyn, Carl Hooper, Kallicharan, A Donald, Darren Gough, Dominic Cork, Hadlee....... But on the whole I agree with your selection - these are some of the best and most graceful cricketers - on their day they could crush any opponent with their sheer charisma and elegance on the field.

POSTED BY
Pathiyal
on | October 19, 2010, 8:23 GMT

interesting article to read. i thought mohd. azharuddin was the most elegant and artistic player to ever grace the field, have not seen many of whom have been mentioned here. azhar's stance, his wristy batting, running between the wkts and the body language which assures us that he is gonna be there until the winning shot etc.etc....not to forget his brilliant fielding, one handed throws, covering almost impossible distances to take critical catches and what not. its unfortunate about his exit from the scene leaving his fans awry....job being half done :-)

Any of the jury members has passed away??? I am talking about World II. 12...18??? 19....sad..sad...i am not impressed.

POSTED BY
daivapreethi
on | October 19, 2010, 7:30 GMT

with full respect to list made (and the beautifully written article) are modern day players any lesser in style than the old timers?? though i am an ardent cricket fan i must confess i have never watched one of these players. may be you can think of creating one more list that appreciates the contemporary stylists----- and that should include VVS, sachin mahela, warne----- because just because we are living in an era of T20 'slam bang' does not mean there are no 'mozarts' living today

POSTED BY
theswami
on | October 19, 2010, 5:57 GMT

NO VVS , stupid list
With VVS, great list .... period

POSTED BY
bongalkar
on | October 19, 2010, 5:37 GMT

guys, no more selection of XIs on cric info please, first up its idiotic to see Ranji but no Mark Waugh or Laxman, you seem to be overawed by 'royal lineage'. You guys on the jury cant identify elegance when it comes from true sons of soil. Where is Brian Charles Lara ? Did you see him dance down the pitch to the spinners ?? If not please do, you wont regret the time you spend! Ofcourse, you would regret once you are done. Looks like the selection has been done based on idiosyncratic views of mediocre cricket historians who were waiting to applaud and snatch on qoutes by fellow mediocres . Go get a life ...

I nominate you guys as the All time mediocre jury XI.

POSTED BY
tikna
on | October 19, 2010, 5:21 GMT

Admitedly I have not seen most of the guys in the team in action except Gower, Bedi Holding and Vishwanath but I believe Mark Waugh should have made it into the team for the sheer ease on eyes that he was and mind you he made catching in slips look easy as adding 2 and 2.

POSTED BY
on | October 19, 2010, 4:21 GMT

Who is Sachin ? Apart from him,,its a nice selection..He must be replaced by Kapil Dev or any one played for the team..Poor Indian Sachin fans..When are people in India going to change and have some self respect instead of idolizing the actors-Khans/actresses-minimum dress users/sportsmen like Sachin/ politicians-Family affairs. DON'T WE HAVE ANY SELF RESPECT?

POSTED BY
on | October 19, 2010, 4:14 GMT

A.lan Kippax, Mark Waugh, Greg Chappell perhaps deserve consideration. More recently, one could watch VVS Laxman for a long long period of time and never feel let down

POSTED BY
kayarr
on | October 19, 2010, 3:28 GMT

What about Aravinda DeSilva? Unlike many of his successors in the SL team(Sanga being an exception that comes to mind readily) he didn't need flat tracks to showcase his wonderful artistry. PS I'm Indian.

POSTED BY
srikeshi
on | October 19, 2010, 2:58 GMT

Carl hooper should be there. He was equally graceful against both pace and spin unlike some others who though very stylish when facing spin and medium pace were awkward against real pace particularly on fast and bouncy tracks.

POSTED BY
on | October 19, 2010, 2:36 GMT

Mark Waugh has to be in the list and for me, watching Damien Martyn was always a pleasure, a very stylish and graceful batsmen......loved watching him play!

POSTED BY
Umamahesh_Srigiriraju
on | October 19, 2010, 2:15 GMT

I have nothing against the batsmen that were included in this list. But any elegant XI or poetry in motion that doesn't include VVS, Azhar and Brian Lara is plain amusing. It is a given that both VVS and Azhar can be very tentative in the beginning (Brian Lara isn't as tentative as these two at the beginning of his inning) but once that initial period is over, then one gets to see poetry in motion. Elegance personified. It's a real shame that these 3 players are absent from the list.

POSTED BY
on | October 19, 2010, 2:12 GMT

With out Mark Waugh, i do not think any thing associated with elegance and class, could ever be completed. He was class personified on field in every aspect of the game, be it his silky drives or slip catcing or bowling with goggles on, a true style icon for the game of cricket.

POSTED BY
RogerC
on | October 19, 2010, 1:06 GMT

MOHD AZHARUDDIN.....most graceful while batting and also while fielding.

POSTED BY
bridget01
on | October 19, 2010, 1:00 GMT

Gundappa who???
Greg Chappell derserves a spot in this 11. Good to see Lindwall in there and Holding was sublime...

POSTED BY
NickHughes
on | October 18, 2010, 23:13 GMT

No quibbles with this list: All supreme stylists. Although it must have been tough leaving out Colin Cowdrey and Tom Graveney.

Perhaps the reason why there are no current or recent generation players in the lineup is because of the ultra professionalism era that exists today. Guys like Mark Waugh and Laxman look natural and a touch above compared to many of their peers who train and train and hone their technique to the point where their shots or their deliveries look somewhat elegant. Steve Waugh's cover drive and Ricky Ponting's on drive are damn good shots and they look good, but there is a difference between that and Mark Waugh and Laxman, but not much. However, before this era, perhaps the above mentioned players had a massive gap in elegance and natural ability compared to their peers and as a result, they make this World XI.

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 16:14 GMT

What about Azhar? Irrespective of what transpired at the end of his career, one cannot wish away his elegance..

POSTED BY
2.14istherunrate
on | October 18, 2010, 16:06 GMT

Gower, Bedi and holding are the three most obviously aesthetically pleasing players of my era. Of recent moderns I suppose Vaughan rates quite highly,while Bell too is very easy on the eye. Of all types of player I guess it is these ones who make the longest lasting impression. Of the rest of the side Woolley and Ranji were particularly heralded in writings, while no-one has matched up to what I saw of Laker's bowling on film till Swann. A good omen hopefully. I love Lewis' remarks about Bedi. It's good to move away from the freneticism of today to appreciate real culture.

POSTED BY
CricketPissek
on | October 18, 2010, 15:17 GMT

hehe... surely the author knew what he was getting himself into when he dared pick an XI. even if he picked the "Best Left Handed XI" someone would say Sachin could bat left handed better than most :-D
on a serious note though... I've not seen cricket before the 90s in more than short clips, so I won't bother judging the players. I would have loved to have seen Sanga in the XI as the keeper, because the bit of Knott I've seen was quite "meh" for style as far as I'm concerned. but it's such a subjective thing isn't it? Since it's artistry and art is subjective. Heck, I bet Paul Collingwood's mum thinks his batting looks beautiful :)

Here's what CI have to say about Zaheer Abbas : " There was not a touch of arrogance about Zaheer's batting but of lyrical, fluent movement, his innings memorable for a refined, effortless beauty. His strength was precision and timing…..
When the going was good, he seemed like a maestro at work, his artistry, his elegance leaving connoisseurs awestruck. "

The fact that G.Pollock and C.Lloyd were powerful should not detract from their smooth, curvaceous brushstrokes. L.Rowe rowed effortlessly without rushing. B.Richards, picture-perfect poise.

POSTED BY
ritearmover
on | October 18, 2010, 13:40 GMT

What about Rahul Dravid?

POSTED BY
sairaghavan5694
on | October 18, 2010, 13:22 GMT

Not sure if there is going to be any other kind of XI chosen.
But let me choose a Steady XI, which would have all non-flashy but literally steady cricketers.
Openers: Barry Richards, Sunil Gavaskar
Middle Order: Jaques Kallis, Rahul Dravid, Chanderpaul, Miandad (his average never went below 50)
Allrounder: No specific all rounder spot as Jaques Kallis is present
Wicket Keeper: Sangakkara
Bowlers: Glenn McGrath, Anil Kumble, Shaun Pollock, Malcom Marshall.

POSTED BY
NALINWIJ
on | October 18, 2010, 13:09 GMT

WONDERFULLY POETIC DESCRIPTION OF THE PAST BY WRITERS BEFORE TV CAME ALONG BUT I EXPECT THE SELECTION PANEL TO COME UP WITH 1.HOBBS 2.GAVASKAR 3,BRADMAN 4.V.RICHARDS 5. TENDULKAR 6.SOBERS 7.GILCHRIST 8.WASIM AKRAM 9.WARNE 10.MARSHALL 11.LILLEE. If Gavaskar is replaced by Trumper you select the greatest batsmen of each era.Trumper,Hobbs ,Bradman, Sobers,Richards,Tendulkar forms a sequence since 1899.Murali v. Warne or both is also a controversy but as a legspinner Warne complements Sobers. Wasim Akram gets the nod as the second allrounder as he is a left arm swing bowler who is also good with reverse swing and completes the awesome attack.

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 12:50 GMT

WAITING FOR OFFICIAL CRICINFO's XI.. It's already 18th Oct...

POSTED BY
robheinen
on | October 18, 2010, 12:42 GMT

Leaving out Glenn 'the Metronome' McGrath can almost be called a criminal act...

POSTED BY
David_Boon
on | October 18, 2010, 12:22 GMT

An Elegant XI with no Mark Waugh? Ridiculous.

POSTED BY
cricketchopper
on | October 18, 2010, 11:53 GMT

Now, come to the elegence of bowlers. Michael holding seemed to be doing no exertion at all when bowling. He was most poetic and elegant bowler. Imran Khan was clumsy as he used to jump and seemed to be exerting a lot. To some extent Waseem Akram had some elegance. Marshal had a touch of elegance. Lillee seemed to be exerting a lot, he was not elegant. Jeoff Thomson had a considerable toch of elegance in his run up. Kapil Dev was the most un-elegant fast bowler. Murli is the clumsy and un-elegant spinner. Anil Kumble has some elegence. Yes, Laxman is the most elegant batsman of present Indian team and Yousuf in Pakistan. Lara was one of the most clumsy one jumping to hit the ball.

POSTED BY
George11
on | October 18, 2010, 11:49 GMT

Any one remember carl Hooper? Wasnt he elegant ?

POSTED BY
cricketchopper
on | October 18, 2010, 11:43 GMT

First of all, all should no what is elegence. Listen, when some batsman or bowler seems to be striving hard he can not remain elegent or rythmetic. It means batsman like Bradman and Viv or Lara who seems to be moving and exerting a lot are not stylish and graceful. MAJID KHAN was a batsman who used minimum foot work to play elegant strokes. His personal facial and body beauty was also helpful to show elegance of his shots. Few strokes of Zaheer were elegant and rythmatic as he had best wrist work I have ever seen. Even the clumsy playing Viv seemed to be rythmetic when he used to come at the top of the bowl to slice it to leg side. Gower, to some extent, was elegent. Jwed Miandad was clumsy and blunt. Marvin Atapattu had some grace in few shots. Recently, Sachin can be considerd graceful to some extent because when he plays a big shot it seem he is not exerting at all.

POSTED BY
Venkatb
on | October 18, 2010, 11:38 GMT

I was on a visotors' tour of Lords about 15 years ago and the guides took us through a history of great cricket players - he had this to say "In the past century, this ground has witnessed powerhouses such as Bradman, Hammond and Richards, and the most elegant of batsmen - Ranji and Azharuddin. This was before Indian tourits became the norm at Lords!

POSTED BY
cricketchopper
on | October 18, 2010, 11:25 GMT

O My God, Menon has not included the most stylish batsman of cricket history: MAJID KHAN. It seems he is completely unaware and ignorant of what is a style. Even the stance of running between the wickets of Majid Khan was a thing to watch. Can anyone forget his late-cutts, squire-driver, pull, hook, cover drive. In my whole life I never saw any one even close to be as stylish as Majid Khan was.

POSTED BY
sifmeister
on | October 18, 2010, 11:12 GMT

any team based on elegance and grace, surely must include M. Waugh at number 4, B C Lara at number 5 and Very Very Special Laxman at number 6.

POSTED BY
thestunner316_15
on | October 18, 2010, 11:05 GMT

style XI and no mark waugh?? mark never hit a ball in anger, took catches with even greater style than which he batted.. hell he even bowled with his goggles on... and where is laxman?

POSTED BY
AmmarRajar
on | October 18, 2010, 10:55 GMT

Rahul Dravid,Brain lara and Javed Miandad must be selected in the middle order....its just my personal view that sachin tendulkar was not tht good under pressure as the other 3 players are...u cant also miss Imran khan ,wasim n waqar

POSTED BY
AmmarRajar
on | October 18, 2010, 10:53 GMT

i read a survey by a magazine they highlighted the best players who use to give performance under pressure...they were Rahul dravid,brain lara n javed miandad...they were in top 4...couldnt remember the other names...

POSTED BY
D.Sharma
on | October 18, 2010, 10:42 GMT

SACHIN SACHIN SACHIN SACHIN SACHIN SACHIN SACHIN SACHIN SACHIN SACHIN SACHIN SACHIN SACHIN SACHIN SACHIN yes he is a worthy contender for this list but why can't people comprehend that some people are just more elegant than him?

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 10:35 GMT

What's the point of a elegant XI without Mehela Jayawardena.

POSTED BY
GeneralC
on | October 18, 2010, 10:34 GMT

Surely Carl Hooper and Brian Lara are worthy contenders

POSTED BY
Tendulkars_Tennis_Elbow
on | October 18, 2010, 10:24 GMT

What? No Chanderpaul??? :P

POSTED BY
Gizza
on | October 18, 2010, 10:15 GMT

Yep the Sachin Trolldulkars have come out in force. He is not even the most elegant in the current Indian team let alone the world across all eras. Laxman in Tests is more elegant and Yuvraj is more elegant in ODI/T20's. Note that DOESN'T mean they better batsmen than Tendulkar. Not at all. But Sachin outdoes them in other aspects, like determination, cricketing intelligence (Yuvraj especially has a very average cricketing brain), and is way better technically (in fact Sachin in technically perfect). I would also rate Dravid above Tendulkar in terms of elegance.

It is a pretty good list by the way Suresh Menon. I suppose there is a difference between beauty and elegance but Warne could come close to Laker or Bedi. Doesn't matter if he getting hit for 6 after 6, when you watch him bowl it is just amazing.

I personally believe the most unlucky modern player would be Laxman. Mark Waugh and Anwar didn't seem to live up to their elegance in the true form of the game - Test cricket.

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 9:44 GMT

Why do these lists never contain any New Zealand players. Stephen Fleming was about as elegant as they come.

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 9:35 GMT

What about Mahela Jayawardene? you cant miss mentioning him!!

POSTED BY
Vivek.Bhandari
on | October 18, 2010, 9:30 GMT

@Aussasinator/rvpanakkal: i also wish there's an "ugly but effective" XI as well...i can suggest three names...Langer, S.Waugh, Dhoni...to name a few...:)

POSTED BY
anikbrad
on | October 18, 2010, 9:29 GMT

I AGREE WITH FEW LIKE TRAMPER/ BUT WORELL AS OPPNER NOT SATISFIED MAY BE SAYEED ANWAR HE WAS PURE GRACE BUT WORREL MAY BE OK BUT NOT SELECTING MARK WAUGH WAS A CRIME. I HAVE SEEN VISWANATH, AZHAR, LAX, BUT ONLY POETRY I HAVE SEEN IN CRICKET FIELD IS MARK NOT EVEN WHEN BATTING, I REMEMBER WAY HE USE TO FIELD IN THE SLIPS SO GRACEFULLY HE USED TO TAKE IMPOSSIBLE CATCHES WITH UTMOST GRACE AND EASE. IS ANYONE PICKS VISSY ITS ONLY BECAUSE OF ONE SHOT LATE CUT, AND I BELIEVE FLICK OF THE LEGS WAS A FORTE OF AZZHAR NOT VISSY. SECOND WOLLY SHOULD BE REPLACED BY LAXMAN OR LARA THEY WERE MORE GRACEFUL. SEE KNOTS BATTING AND THEN SEE SANKA HE IS FAR FAR CLASSY. I AGREE THAT GILLY WAS NOT CLASSY BUT BRUTAL BUT SANGA VS KNOTT NO QS. EVEN A BABY CAN ANSWER. STILL THE NOST NOTEABLE OMMISION IS M. WAGH. BEING AND INDIAN I STILL BELIEVE MARK WAS EVEGANCE PERSONIFIED IN FIELD AND HAD A STYLE OF HIS OWN. I BELIEVE VINNU WAS MORE CLASSY AND ORTHODOX THAN LAKER BUT I HAVE NOT SEEN BOTH SO NO COMMENTS.

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 9:29 GMT

MARK WAUGH!?!?!??!?!?
how can u not include the most beautiful player of all time

POSTED BY
Gilliana
on | October 18, 2010, 9:26 GMT

Without Azharuddin and Laxman, there can never be a Poetry in Motion XI. I remember him scoring a magnificent century at the Adeliade Oval on his last visit to my country. I had travelled almost a thousand kms to see him bat. It was the most stylish innings that I had seen in my long life.

POSTED BY
Go_F.Alonso
on | October 18, 2010, 9:10 GMT

And what about a certain BC Lara.

POSTED BY
Go_F.Alonso
on | October 18, 2010, 9:08 GMT

Like others here - I'd love to see Mark Waugh and VVS in this artists' list. Having said that, I haven't seen any player prior to the 90s, so a small write-up on why those in the list are indeed better than these 2 above is very much warranted.

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 9:02 GMT

well, the list is good but what about Sachin Tendulkar? i agree that the list is not about records and runs etc. but it should be made clear what are the criterias taken into account when choosing Elegant XI??

POSTED BY
Etrnlwanderer
on | October 18, 2010, 8:50 GMT

@shahid6995: You didnt have to wait too long did you? You already have the mourners waling about "Tendulkar the Graceful". If only half these idjits could understand that the process behind selecting a team in this list is based on their style and poise while batting and no other criteria.

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 8:48 GMT

Ok it is a decent effort, but as mentioned by yourself, an elegant XI is not complete with VVS Laxman (very very special says it all), Saeed Anwar (that Piccaso like flowing drives through the covers, effortless) and not to forget Waqar Younis (that run up, burst and slingy action).

Must be worth a review Suresh, dont you think?

POSTED BY
Sehwagology
on | October 18, 2010, 8:38 GMT

What is this nonsensical obsession with Tendulkar? It's almost as if this great game, its history and the players who have adorned it are a sideshow to the grotesque homage to Tendulkar. I'm an Indian but I find it cringe worthy that every interesting article that is published here is somehow turned into a celebration of Tendulkar's greatness. Any playing list that omits him is summarily dismissed. Are people so insecure about his greatness that they require validation in every article, from every source and every author? And to refer to any sportsman as God is not only outrageous and outlandish but deeply offensive (at least to those deluded enough to believe in religion in the first place!). He is undoubtedly a great batsman but to be so definitive, absolute and categorical about his place in the pantheon is plainly absurd. Equally to regard him as more stylish and graceful than VVS Laxman or Mark Waugh or Brian Lara or indeed Gower is to have no conception of aesthetical beauty!

While I agree bye and large with Suresh Menon's selected XI, I would definitely be interested in knowing his reasons for omitting Sir Garfield Sobers. I am unfortunate in the sense that I have not seen Woolley bat (nor for that matter would Suresh have seen him, I presume) but I have surely seen Sobers. And, by God, was he languid, you bet. As silky and smooth as any.
About the wicketkeeper's slot, Knott was definitely excellent but what about Godfrey Evans or Wally Grout?
Avadh Lal

POSTED BY
prins72
on | October 18, 2010, 7:55 GMT

The Poetry in Motion XI also needs a bowling all-rounder...and the incumbents are Richard Hadlee and Imran Khan. Richard Hadlee used to literally glide to the bowling crease (long or short run up) and the skill sets that he had were simply awesome. Hadlee however never fulfilled his enormous batting potential. Imran Khan was the style icon of the 70s & 80s. Fantastic fast bowler... Imran's final leap while bowling used to be so very unique and graceful. To top it, Imran was also a charismatic leader. My vote is for Imran Khan in place of Frank Woolley.

POSTED BY
AhmadSaleem
on | October 18, 2010, 7:54 GMT

Saaed Anwar, Laxman and Mark Waugh can replace any of the batsmen in this team. Only the selection of Gower is justified. And where is Adam Gilchrist??????? He is heads and shoulders above every other keeper batsman

POSTED BY
2929paul
on | October 18, 2010, 7:54 GMT

I once called in at a cold and grim Grace Road (Leicestershire) just to watch Gower bat, knowing that he was (unusually) not out overnight. When Gower batted it was about the only time the name fitted at that ground and after about an hour or so, Gower nicked one and wandered off for a typically elegant 50. I drifted home (some 100 miles away) happy at the memory and waiting for the next chance to watch him bat. I once attended a batting clinic held by Boycott who said I batted just like Gower. He meant it as an criticism - little foot movement, loose outside the off stump, too many edges, no application. To me it was the best compliment ever. I don't have Gower's genius so inevitably I never made it past club level but I still have that comment from Boycott to live on. I love this list. Who wants to watch Boycott for hours when you can spend an hour getting a memory like Gower batting or Holding bowling.

POSTED BY
Joy_Of_Cricket
on | October 18, 2010, 7:39 GMT

Why and How is Mohammed Azharuddin missing from that middle order. There has never been a more graceful and elegant stroke maker than Azhar...

Have we missed Richard Hadlee....but it is diificult when we have to select only 11 players....

POSTED BY
hatrick26
on | October 18, 2010, 6:11 GMT

I think Kanhai should have been included in this team.

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 6:10 GMT

There are Mark Waugh, VVS Laxman, Mohammad Azharuddin, Saurav Ganguly who was once described by David Gower as the most elegant of the batsmen he'd ever seen..

POSTED BY
CricIndian9
on | October 18, 2010, 6:10 GMT

Where is VVS LAXMAN??????? Seriously, Where is HE??

POSTED BY
statshank
on | October 18, 2010, 6:06 GMT

Suresh, good collection. You may also want to add Mark Waugh. I also beleive Dennis Lillee was poetry in motion in his bowling and finally, none would agree, I think Kapil dev for the sheer artistry in his bowling and batting also needs a look in

POSTED BY
Aussasinator
on | October 18, 2010, 5:51 GMT

Maybe you should also list out an XI comprising the 'Ugly to Watch but Effective" !

POSTED BY
sbansban
on | October 18, 2010, 5:29 GMT

Hmmmm. I have seen footage of Sobers and have to wonder why he didn't make this list.

POSTED BY
ygkd
on | October 18, 2010, 5:23 GMT

This is the way the game should be - cricket approaching an art form. But for how long will we see players like these? They're still around, like Laxman, but in today's climate are the young geniuses going to get the breaks they need or are the power game ideals going to break them? Sure Holding and others here were fine athletes, but was Ranji ever really like that? It's hard to say when all you've ever seen is a few old photos, but one suspects that sometimes genius takes longer to develop than mere athletic ability. Would an 18 year old Knott's batting be good enough today to see him play under 19's for England? It is so easy to simply believe that geniuses will always be so no matter what, but the reality is that a lot of geniuses don't really do that well at school. They don't think like others do, they don't always have big egos & they drop out. With the current obsession with youth cricket, it surely is truer to think that some won't be given enough time or attention to shine.

POSTED BY
shahid6995
on | October 18, 2010, 5:21 GMT

Yes, again, please lets see all the Indian trollers start moaning about how Tendulkar is not on this list either.

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 5:01 GMT

I would put Sangakara in as well

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 4:59 GMT

Where is Sachin Tendulkar? No World XI in the world is complete without the inclusion of Sachin. What more you need from him??? absurd and ridiculous

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 4:53 GMT

I would have put Mark Waugh in the list

POSTED BY
manasvi_lingam
on | October 18, 2010, 4:47 GMT

Hmm, not bad at well. Right arm off, left arm orthodox - two contrasting styles in spin and Lindwall and Holding are good bowlers too. I suppose Woolley and Worrell would be the fifth bowler combination since both of them were batting all-rounders.

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 4:27 GMT

Im sorry but Mark Waugh and VVS Laxman MUST be in that Middle-Order for me, they are two of the best technical batsmen i have ever watched.... Only four I wholeheartedly agree on in this list is Sir Worrell, Gower, Bedi and Michael Holding. The others are open to debate and can be replaced as far as im concerned

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 4:14 GMT

How in the world you can think that Sachin and VVS laxman are not more graceful than any of these 11 people you listed here....
Come on Dude....

POSTED BY
harshthakor
on | October 18, 2010, 4:05 GMT

Zaheer Abbas is a must inclusion.His batting resembled a violinist strutting his strings or a musical composer.He was the supreme stylist of all and held his bat like a musical wand.Rohan Kanhai had he greatest batting prowess of all ,while Denis Compton literally invented his own strokes with phenomenal imaginative skill.Ted Dexter,was also a great stylist,overshadowing the likes of Peter May and Colin Cowdrey.

I applaud your inclusion of Gundappa Vishwanath,David Gower and Michael Holding.Viswanath 's wristwork was genius,Gower's drives looked like a baby being put to sleep,while Holding's bowling was sheer poetry in motion.

POSTED BY
vinjoy
on | October 18, 2010, 4:02 GMT

Nice pick. For sheer poetry, I am tempted to suggest 'Lara' as well.

POSTED BY
nzcricket174
on | October 18, 2010, 3:46 GMT

Malcolm Marshall has one of the most elegant actions you will ever see. There is absolutely nothing wrong with his action. Sir Donald Bradman should be here too. He only hit about six sixes in his entire test career. It seemed like he had two opportunities to move his feet, unlike others who only have one.

POSTED BY
point_2_cover
on | October 18, 2010, 3:44 GMT

Really? A description of graceful 11 without even an honourable mention (in the ones left out) of Brian Lara? Or of Imran Khan the bowler?
Really?

POSTED BY
cantwaittosee
on | October 18, 2010, 3:41 GMT

There is no one in the history of the game that can come close to Sunil Gavaskar in elegance....pure poetry in motion. The most beautiful bowler to play the game is Glenn Mcgrath.

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 3:37 GMT

A few names would deserve a mention in this list. VVS Laxman, Mark Waugh

POSTED BY
andrew.henshaw
on | October 18, 2010, 3:33 GMT

...here come the NO TENDULKAR!!! comments - but seriously, interesting XI you have there

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 3:24 GMT

Talking about grace and sheer poetry, if you hadn't seen Zaheer Abbas, then you don't know what elegance is all about. He needs to be there. Have a look at his Edgbaston innings of 1974 as an example. Nothing but grace and poetry.

POSTED BY
EverybodylovesSachin
on | October 18, 2010, 3:20 GMT

I AM TIRED OF THESE ELEVEN PICKING BY EVERYONE..FROM IAN CHAPPELL TO SURESH MENON..STOP THESE TEAM PICKING... VERY BORING STOP CRICINFO.....JUST PICK WORLD ELEVEN AND STOP THIS MADNESS FOREVER..HOPE YOU POST MY COMMENT IF YOU GUYS ARE TRUE JOURNALIST

No featured comments at the moment.

POSTED BY
EverybodylovesSachin
on | October 18, 2010, 3:20 GMT

I AM TIRED OF THESE ELEVEN PICKING BY EVERYONE..FROM IAN CHAPPELL TO SURESH MENON..STOP THESE TEAM PICKING... VERY BORING STOP CRICINFO.....JUST PICK WORLD ELEVEN AND STOP THIS MADNESS FOREVER..HOPE YOU POST MY COMMENT IF YOU GUYS ARE TRUE JOURNALIST

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 3:24 GMT

Talking about grace and sheer poetry, if you hadn't seen Zaheer Abbas, then you don't know what elegance is all about. He needs to be there. Have a look at his Edgbaston innings of 1974 as an example. Nothing but grace and poetry.

POSTED BY
andrew.henshaw
on | October 18, 2010, 3:33 GMT

...here come the NO TENDULKAR!!! comments - but seriously, interesting XI you have there

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 3:37 GMT

A few names would deserve a mention in this list. VVS Laxman, Mark Waugh

POSTED BY
cantwaittosee
on | October 18, 2010, 3:41 GMT

There is no one in the history of the game that can come close to Sunil Gavaskar in elegance....pure poetry in motion. The most beautiful bowler to play the game is Glenn Mcgrath.

POSTED BY
point_2_cover
on | October 18, 2010, 3:44 GMT

Really? A description of graceful 11 without even an honourable mention (in the ones left out) of Brian Lara? Or of Imran Khan the bowler?
Really?

POSTED BY
nzcricket174
on | October 18, 2010, 3:46 GMT

Malcolm Marshall has one of the most elegant actions you will ever see. There is absolutely nothing wrong with his action. Sir Donald Bradman should be here too. He only hit about six sixes in his entire test career. It seemed like he had two opportunities to move his feet, unlike others who only have one.

POSTED BY
vinjoy
on | October 18, 2010, 4:02 GMT

Nice pick. For sheer poetry, I am tempted to suggest 'Lara' as well.

POSTED BY
harshthakor
on | October 18, 2010, 4:05 GMT

Zaheer Abbas is a must inclusion.His batting resembled a violinist strutting his strings or a musical composer.He was the supreme stylist of all and held his bat like a musical wand.Rohan Kanhai had he greatest batting prowess of all ,while Denis Compton literally invented his own strokes with phenomenal imaginative skill.Ted Dexter,was also a great stylist,overshadowing the likes of Peter May and Colin Cowdrey.

I applaud your inclusion of Gundappa Vishwanath,David Gower and Michael Holding.Viswanath 's wristwork was genius,Gower's drives looked like a baby being put to sleep,while Holding's bowling was sheer poetry in motion.

POSTED BY
on | October 18, 2010, 4:14 GMT

How in the world you can think that Sachin and VVS laxman are not more graceful than any of these 11 people you listed here....
Come on Dude....